In this tip, James J. Olszewski explains the benefits of adjusting the fuzz distance to eliminate gaps between polyline segments in AutoCAD.

This is a Polyline Edit command option that has been available for a long time in AutoCAD, but is often overlooked. When joining a number of polyline segments (especially those originating from other sources and when combining them with yours) it happens on occasion that the typical PEdit then Join command does not combine all the segments. When the polylines are all 2D, this often happens due to a small gap between their endpoints that could take multiple zoom-ins to see on the screen.

My suggestion is to first input the Multiple option, which many people skip since it is an extra step. By doing this first, then picking Join, it opens up an option that is not otherwise available: setting the "fuzz" distance. This defaults at zero, but needs to be set to the user’s preference to work (I have found that setting it to 4 frequently works for me).

Using this option and setting a distance can readily solve the problem of joining polylines. All in all, this option can save a lot of time and frustration; and remember, the fuzz distance can be varied widely!

Notes from Cadalyst tip reviewer R.K. McSwain: I agree with Jim: I see many users who are unaware of the ability to join objects using PEdit with a fuzz factor. The fuzz factor is the distance AutoCAD should look from an unattached endpoint for another object. You will also want to explore the JoinType (another option in PEdit). AutoCAD can extend one or both lines to fill the gap, or simply add a segment to fill the gap; it may even need to do both. Experiment with the fuzz factor and the JoinType to see what works best for you in different situations.

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